Saturday, February 18, 2017

CM Palaniswami wins trust vote 122 to 11

Tamil Nadu, new chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy has won the trust vote, after 122 MLAs voted in his favour after hours of uproar in the Assembly. The vote was concluded after speaker P Dhanapal turned down the opposition DMK's request for a secret ballot in the floor test.

Eleven MLAs voted against Mr Palaniswamy. As one seat in the Assembly is vacant, the required number to win the vote was 117.

The house was adjourned twice and resumed after the second adjournment at 3pm. Earlier the assembly was adjourned till 1 pm following protest by DMK MLAs, O.Panneerselvam camp MLAs and Congress MLAs demanding secret ballot.

Mr Palaniswamy, a VK Sasikala loyalist, sought vote of confidence at 11 this morning though he was given 15 days by the Governor to prove his majority. After a prolonged political crisis due to power struggle within the ruling AIADMK, Governor Vidyasagar Rao invited him to form the Government on Thursday and administered oath of office and secrecy.

Eleven MPs owing allegiance to Mr Panneerselvam approached Election Commission in New Delhi on Thursday and lodged complaint against the election of Ms Sasikala as the party General Secretary and sought to nullify all her actions in that capacity including fresh appointments and removals in the party.

Opposition DMK members were ordered by Speaker Dhanapal to be evicted en masse following pandemonium ahead of vote of confidence moved by chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy.